IM Mashafizul - GM Gruenfeld Yehuda

Mashafizul round 7 opponent - GM Gruenfeld Yeduda is a very experienced player. According to wikipedia, he has play for Israel in six chess Olympiad. Now at age of 54, he is playing for the International Committee of Silence Chess (ICSC)

IM Mashafizul Helmi (2422) vs GM Gruenfeld Yehuda (2464)

39th Olympid, Round 7, 28.3.2010

Analysed by Centaur (Hairulov+Rybka 4)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nd7

11. a4 Rybka Opening book suggest 11.0-0 0-0 and then 12.Qd3 or 12.a4 11...Be7

12. a5 Rc8 13.c4 0-0 14.0-0 g6 15.Ra4 Probably Mas is planning to attack the b7 pawn by playing Rb4 in the near future. 15...Kh8 Black is planning to play f5, that's why he move his king to h8.

16. Rb4 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Nf6 Black sac his b7 pawn but it's only temporary because he will gain it back after for e.g
18. Qxb7 Rb8 19. Qxb8 Qxb8 20. Rxb8 Rxb8 21.Bd1 Nxe4

18.Qxb7 Rb8 19.Qxb8 Qxb8 20.Rxb8 Rxb8 21.Bd1 Nxe4 22.Re1 f5 23.f3 another interesting idea is to play 23.c5 first and then after 23...dxc5 24.f3 and if the knight move, white can take the e5 pawn with the initiative 23...Ng5 24.Re3 Ne6 25.g3 white prevent black to play Nf4 25...Kg7 26.Kf1 Kf7 27.c5!?

An interesting idea. Mas give his c-pawn so that he can play Be2 and then capture black's a6 pawn. He will have a strong passed a-pawn if black's a pawn disappear. 27... dxc5 28.Be2 Kf6 Stronger and more active is 28...Rb4! with the idea of playing c4 later to harass white's knight and followed by Ra4 later to attack white's a-pawn 29.Bxa6 Nd4 30.Bc4 Rb4

31.Bd5?! Rybka suggest a nice tactical move which involve a pawn sacrifice - 31.Nd2! If black take the b2 pawn with 31...Rxb2, white will push his passed a-pawn 32.a6! and black will suffer to stop it. 31...Ra4 32.Nd2 32.Rc3 seems better 32...Rxa5 33.Nc4 Ra1+ 34.Kg2 Rc1 35.Nxe5 Rc2+ 36.Kg1 Bd6 37.Nc4?! 37.f4 looks like a must . After 37.Nc4 black will have a strong intiative after 37...f4! 37...f4! It seems that white will lose a pawn after 38. gxf4 Bxf4 and the h2 pawn will drop. 38.Re8 also lose a pawn after 38...Nxf3+39.Bxf3 Rxc4. I think Mas will have a serious problem. Probably he will have to play for a draw. 38.Re4?

38...Nxf3+ 38...fxg3 is also strong 39.Kf1 Nxh2+ 40.Kg1? 40.Ke1 is lesser evil 40..f3! Mas can already resign here. The 4o move time control will be reach after his next move. 41.Re6+ Kg5 0-1 Mas resign. This is his first lost in this Olympiad.